What have you done to your XS today?

[Adamc]

I keep a maintenance ring binder with sheets for each bike, Madness has five pages filled and a lot hasn't been recorded.
The cars each get a little notebook in the glovebox.
I've never opened an MC brake system that didn't need clean up.

I also keep a ring binder for each vehicle. Every invoice, work sheet or MOT etc. are recorded and stored. The physical maintenance record pays dividends regarding selling price when the time comes…..

 

[ThatXS650Guy]

Who here keeps digital records? Anybody?

I started to but learned the pencil and paper is more convenient. I have six cars, 9 motorcycles, a tractor, a boat and all kinds of yard equipment. I've been keeping track chronologically in a notebook for the last 12 years. Date, mileage, vehicle/equipment and what was done. It works OK but I plan to move to a loose-leaf binder with dividers for every project to make things easier to find. I also keep a file cabinet in the workshop for receipts and such.
Very often I'll think, "WTF I just replaced that battery last year!" and learn it was in fact, 5 years ago!

 

[5twins]

I keep a notebook for each bike and years ago, I drew up maintenance log sheets to print out for this .....

Here's some pdf copies if anyone would like them. There's a "front" and "back" (slightly different header), so that it can be printed on both sides of the sheet of paper .....

 

[Raymond]

Typical Miss November service. Tightening checklist on reverse of service.

I have similar forms to print out for the W800 and RE Bullet. Main thing it gives me a permanent record of the mileage & date so I can check which bikes are coming up to needing an oil change.

No doubt a bit sad.

 

[lakeview]

Trying Gravity Overnight
Tomorrow I Get Serious
Bleeding the front and back brakes. Dismantled and cleaned both master and caliper for the rear but it's fighting me, as I expected. May end up filling the caliper and back feeding it as has been suggested by gggGary.

 

[gggGary]

View attachment 258432
Trying Gravity Overnight
Tomorrow I Get Serious
Bleeding the front and back brakes. Dismantled and cleaned both master and caliper for the rear but it's fighting me, as I expected. May end up filling the caliper and back feeding it as has been suggested by gggGary.

Do it!

 

[gggGary]

I have the back on madness ready to go back together, will do it, soon? Debating stripping her to the frame so, still waffling.
Did the dual caliper front last week, easy peasy.

 

[XSTime]

Tomorrow I Get Serious

Like that front fender / brace combo !

 

[Paleomechanic]

Important accessory! A must have for long dusty rides …

Bottle opener ….

 

[Paleomechanic]

Also, playing with odds and ends from my shop ..
…model A ford “duo lamp” tail light , made a bracket, added a rubber isolator between that and fender… it’s not as big as it looks really, I’m going to walk by it in the shop for a while and see if I like the look of it overall

 

[lakeview]

Like that front fender / brace combo !

Thanks, the back one is bobbed, too. Pictures in future.

 

[cycleranger]

Recently I had an incident with the speedometer. While on a ride I noticed the needle starting to bounce a bit.
Moments later it shot up to 80-100-140 and beyond! The needle wrapped all the way around and hit the stop.
Then after a few moments the needle fell off and proceeded to vibrate all the way home and damaged the face, which really really pissed me off as I'd replaced that face a few years ago and it was pristine.
On arriving home I took a look at it and the cable was broken.
I opened up the gauge today (always fun) and the meter was surprisingly undamaged.
So I cleaned and lubed it and tested it.
I used my drill to spin up the meter and compared to another speedometer I have and they both indicated the same speed at the same RPM.
So I put it back together and I replaced the cable and everything appears to be working fine again.
I'm just trying to understand how the failing cable caused the speedometer to overspeed so much that it knocked needle off.

 

[Bob Wegman]

Then after a few moments the needle fell off and proceeded to vibrate all the way home and damaged the face, which really really pissed me off as I'd replaced that face a few years ago and it was pristine.

I have a speedometer face that is in perfect condition I could send you if you want. If you like it then we could trade unless you also need your old one. After all its Christmas time.

 

[gggGary]

A binding broken cable will do that; it catches, stops, winds up like a spring then, SPROUNG, releases at high speed, repeat.

 

[cycleranger]

I have a speedometer face that is in perfect condition I could send you if you want. If you like it then we could trade unless you also need your old one. After all its Christmas time.

Bob, thank you, that's a very generous offer but I've already put the gauge back together and crimped the ring so I'm just going to live with it for the time being.

A binding broken cable will do that it catches, stops winds up like a spring then, SPROUNG, releases at high speed, repeat.

That was pretty much my thought as well, really the only way.
When I saw the needle wrap around I should have stopped and disconnected the cable, I might have prevented needle from coming off but I kind of assumed it was something in the gauge failing, not the cable.
About half way down the cable sheath there's a spot where it looks like it might have gotten hot but it broke about six inches below the gauge. I lubed the cable when I restored the bike a few years back but I think the cable was probably original.

The other thing that happened during that ride was somewhere the knob for the Hi/Lo switch broke and fell off!
47 year old plastic.. *sigh*. Fortunately I have a spare left control for parts.

 

[jetmechmarty]

I got the rewound rotor from @DonebySunday in 2002. I have a new @Jim rewind, so I thought I’d swap it.


The old rotor tested at about 5 ohm. It ain’t broke, so I guess I won’t fix it.

I pulled the starter. I destroyed one of the long bolts that hold the starter together. I’m in need of a new one.

 

[cycleranger]

I repaired the Hi/Lo switch. I can't believe this whole part is plastic! How cheap.
Thin plastic with a screw through it, no wonder it breaks.
The Honda controls are much more of a pain to service but at least the knobs are mounted to metal parts.

 

[gggGary]

Scrub a dub dub, clutch parts in the tub.

Helped out a bud converting a 73 clutch to an 8 plate, so finally got around to figgering out which parts changed, when, over the years.
Think I have it now, will post up results in the 8 plate clutch thread.

 

[5twins]

Wow, that's quite the collection, lol. I've managed to acquire a couple spares over the years, but nothing like that. Like I said, wow.

 

[gggGary]

Wow, that's quite the collection, lol. I've managed to acquire a couple spares over the years, but nothing like that. Like I said, wow.

A lot of this came out of the Grizzled One's stash.